| It's fun to read child stories to your kids, but it's | | | | always exciting to go back in time and imagine how |
| even MORE fun to make up your own. You don't | | | | people lived. This can be educational, too. You could |
| need to be a creative genius to do so. All it takes is | | | | make up a story about a Viking boy who becomes a |
| a little imagination and patience (with yourself). Follow | | | | great warrior and philosopher king.8. Bring them to |
| these 10 suggestions, and you'll find that making up | | | | LifeWhat if all the objects in your life suddenly |
| entertaining child stories is as easy as talking with a | | | | SPRANG TO LIFE? What would your car say? What |
| good friend.1. A Picture's Worth a Thousand | | | | would your TV do?9. BorrowIf you're really "stuck", |
| WordsSelect a picture or series of pictures from a | | | | you can always borrow (but don't steal) ideas from |
| magazine, book, newspaper or wherever. Then | | | | other people's stories or get inspiration from folktales, |
| describe what's happening in the picture or pictures.2. | | | | parables, legend or myth. Just put your own ideas |
| Truth is Stranger than FictionDraw in events from | | | | and names into the stories to personalize them. For |
| your everyday life and then embellish them. For | | | | example, you could take the Greek "Myth of Icarus" |
| example, instead of "Jason played in the basketball | | | | and update it for the 21st century. Instead of wings |
| game last Saturday," you could say "when Jason | | | | make from feathers and wax, Icarus has a |
| played in the basketball game last Saturday, he put | | | | solar-powered, artificial exoskeleton made from |
| on his magic shoes and scored 50 points!"3. Look at | | | | composite materials. With his hi-tech exoskeleton, |
| the Larger WorldChoose a story from the | | | | he's actually able to land on the sun, but then he gets |
| newspaper (nothing too heavy) and make up a story | | | | so hot that he plunges back to earth, drinks up half |
| around it. You can personalize the news this way so | | | | of Lake Ontario, and gets a terrible tummy ache.10. |
| that your child sees that real people are behind the | | | | Let Your Kids Tell YOU a StoryKids are often more |
| events. This has the added benefit of being highly | | | | creative than adults, probably because they don't |
| educational.Just to prove that this can be done with | | | | engage in self-censorship as much. They're not |
| even a "dry" topic, here's a headline from The | | | | embarrassed to let their imaginations run wild! So, you |
| Financial Times (the British business daily): "Crop | | | | could have your kids make up stories, too. They'll |
| Resistance - Why a Transatlantic Split Persists Over | | | | love getting involved and having the chance to |
| Genetically Modified Food." Depending upon your | | | | express themselves.You can combine any of the tips |
| political views on this issue, you could make up a | | | | here with that approach. With tip #1, for example, |
| story that London is threatened by gigantic ears of | | | | you could take turns describing what's happening in a |
| corn, that soybeans morph into aliens or that | | | | picture. It's fun to see how different people interpret |
| wonderful new species of flora and fauna evolve in a | | | | a picture differently.Another approach that I use with |
| genetically modified jungle that springs up outside | | | | my own kids is the "story round robin". We take |
| New Orleans.4. Get Back to NatureNature is a rich | | | | turns telling a single story, passing it on from one |
| source of ideas. You can make up a story about the | | | | person to the next. The plot can get very intricate, |
| animal kingdom (e.g. an ant colony). You might | | | | indeed!ConclusionThese are just a few ways you can |
| imagine what it would be like to become an ant and | | | | get inspired to make up child stories. I'm sure you'll |
| see the world from that perspective. Or you could | | | | think of more. Above all, I hope you'll have a lot of |
| make up a story about the elements. Did you know | | | | fun with your storytelling!P.S. If you record or write |
| that each element has a concept associated with it? | | | | down any of your stories, you can send them to me |
| Air = Thought, Fire = Desire, Water = Emotions, | | | | and I'll publish them on my website with your name |
| Earth = Stability. The universe or astronomy (sun, | | | | (and copyright) on them.P.P.S. Here is a very |
| moon, planets, stars, etc.) is another possible source | | | | interesting website that I discovered (not affiliated |
| of inspiration.5. Help from Your HobbiesWhy not | | | | with me in any way) about the elements, astrology, |
| make up a story centered around one of your | | | | dragons, etc.: You'll find this a rich source of ideas.Paul |
| hobbies? If you're an avid golfer, a story could be | | | | Arinaga is founder of the Child Stories Bank. |
| about how you got your golf ball back from a talking | | | | |
| alligator in Florida.6. Famous PeopleYou could make up | | | | The Child Stories Bank provides FREE original |
| a story about a famous person (either deceased or | | | | children's stories as well as resources to help writers |
| still living) such as Jesus Christ, Alexander the Great | | | | create and get their stories published, and a directory |
| or Justin Timberlake (might be best to try to stick | | | | of child storybook illustrators. |
| roughly to known facts).7. Choose a Time PeriodIt's | | | | |